The History of We
Published on 20. May 2025
Book
Hardback
40 pages
978-0-593-61968-1 (ISBN)
Description
Fossil records show that the first humans were born in Africa. Meaning, every person on Earth can trace their ancestry back to that continent. The History of We celebrates our shared ancestors' ingenuity and achievements and imagines what these firsts would have looked and felt like.
What was it like for the first person to paint, to make music, to dance, to discover medicine, to travel to unknown lands? It required courage, curiosity, and skill.
The History of We takes what we know about modern human civilisation and, through magnificent paintings, creates a tale about our shared beginnings in a way that centres Black people in humankind's origin story.
What was it like for the first person to paint, to make music, to dance, to discover medicine, to travel to unknown lands? It required courage, curiosity, and skill.
The History of We takes what we know about modern human civilisation and, through magnificent paintings, creates a tale about our shared beginnings in a way that centres Black people in humankind's origin story.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for The History of We by Nikkolas Smith:57th NAACP Image Awards nominee (outstanding literary work - children)
A 2026 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor
A 2026 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Winner (Picture Book category)
A 2026 International Literacy Association (ILA) Notable Books for a Global Society Award Winner
A 2026 Golden Kite Award finalist (Picture Book Text and Illustration categories)
A NCSS-CBC 2026 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
An ALSC 2026 Notable Children's Book (All Ages category)
NEA Read Across American 2025-2026 selection
2026 ALSC Summer Reading List (Grades K-2)
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) 2026 Notable Children's Poetry Book
The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection
An Evanston Public Library's 101 Best Books of 2025
A 2025 Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth (Young Fiction)
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2025
An NPR 'Books We Love 2025' selection
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2025
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of 2025
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature (CSMCL) Best Books of 2025
A Common Sense Media Best Books of 2025
A 2025 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB) Blue Ribbon Award
? "Combining vibrant, painterly illustrations and short, lyrical, explanatory paragraphs, Smith outlines major contributions of these various groups from prehistoric Africa." -The Horn Book, starred review
? "Light but layered verse resists oversimplifying...It's impossible to overstate the emotional effect of Smith's artwork-simultaneously majestic and intimate...A triumph." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
? "Each chapter of our history is set upon gorgeous painted landscapes or scenes of human ingenuity in action... Joy, struggle, and innovation are displayed throughout the ages, not only laying out a wide-spanning history but also upending the problematic idea that civilization began much later and that it was rooted in whiteness." -Booklist, starred review
?"[A] celebration of early human ingenuity....The text and art are elegantly matched in both beauty and impact...[E]xpansive and intimate, reminding readers of the connections running through all humanity." -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
? "Gorgeously illustrated...This is a first choice for any library seeking picture books about the fascinating origins of 'We.'" -School Library Journal, starred review.
"Using phrases that incorporate a communal we, and thickly stroked acrylic paintings that feel full of movement, Smith (The Artivist) establishes a progression of humankind's creativity. . .It's a visually rich collective history of humankind." -Publishers Weekly
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Penguin Young Readers
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Preschool to Third Grade, Interest Age: From 4 to 8 years
Product notice
Picture book
Illustrations
FULL-COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS
Dimensions
Height: 259 mm
Width: 257 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
534 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-593-61968-1 (9780593619681)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Nikkolas Smith is an Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood film illustrator. He is the author-illustrator of the USA TODAY bestselling picture book The Artivist, The Golden Girls of Rio, and My Hair Is Poofy & That's Okay. He also illustrated the picture books A Change Is Gonna Come, Captain America: Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You, I Am Ruby Bridges, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream, That Flag, and the #1 New York Times bestselling The 1619 Project: Born on the Water. Many of Nikkolas's viral and globally published sketches that have sparked important conversations and inspired meaningful change are included in his book Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas. He speaks on his Artivism and leads digital painting workshops at conferences, workplaces, and schools around the world. Nikkolas was born in Houston, Texas, and now lives in Los Angeles, California.